Sweethome, Portland: The West - An Appreciation Of Place (photo essay)

July 30, 2012 4:09 PM

Since my first glimpse of Oregon, I have been fascinated with the diversity and power of this landscape. Here, there is a wealth to our natural world that is unmatched. For the past eight years I've kept a file on my computer named, "Western Landscape''. It's filled with nearly 4,000 photographs from travels through Oregon and neighboring states. When I scroll through the pictures as a body of work, all sorts of parallels are evident. Some of the images are connected through story, some through place and some simply share a visual texture. So we begin today to share these photographs, two-by-two, sure that they revel more together than they ever could alone. We hope these tiny nuggets inspire you to discovery.

The day milk became Oregon's state beverage, a fifth-grader nailed a lactose-intolerent member of Oregon's
House of Representatives to the hot seat.

Bruce Cardin's homeroom class from East Tillamook Elementary School was in Salem to testify in front of the Agriculture Subcommittee about the virtues of milk. The kids had been preparing for this moment for almost two years. In third grade, they agreed on a class project to make milk the state beverage. Then, one home room at a time, they plotted to move their quest through the legislature.

Terry Thompson, who at the time was a house member from Newport, was on point that day at the Capitol. Thompson was born into a second- generation commercial fishing family in Newport. Thompson says he has been lactose-intolerant since he was a young man.

Tim Jose, one of the fifth-graders, was born on a dairy farm in Tillamook County. Thompson asked the class why a beverage that made some Oregonians sick ought to be recognized as the state beverage.

Jose, like the rest of his class, had an answer. They knew Thompson was a fisherman and they knew he didn't drink milk; they thought he was allergic.

Jose told Thompson he didn't eat fish — that it didn't make his belly feel good- but if Thompson would give the class his vote, and get their bill passed, he would go buy and eat some fish.

"He went right in my face,'' says Thompson laughing out loud at the memory. "He did a beautiful job.'

1 of 1Link to this photo | Comments about this photo essayMilk is the state beverage for 20 states, 21 if you count Rhode Island's "Coffee Milk'' listing. Oregon declared milk to be out state beverage in 1997. Part of that story includes a friendly confrontation between a lactose intolerant legislator and a fifth grader whose family operate a dairy farm. Jamie Francis/The Oregonian